Blocking and cultivating machine.



PATENTED SEPT. 19, 1905.

T. MOEWING.

BLOCKING AND GULTIVATING MAGHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 12, 1904.

Thomas 000M01 ANDREW. B. QRINAM C0. PHOTO-LIYNOGRAPHERS':WASHINGTQN D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BLOCKING AND CULTIVATING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1905.

Application filed September 12, 1904.. fierial N0. 2%,146.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS MoEwINe, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lansing, in the county of Ingham and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Blocking and CultivatingMachines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in blocking and cultivatingmachines, and more particularly to such machines as shown and describedin patent to me numbered 765,900 and dated July 26, 1904; and its objectis to provide a device less likely to clog with weeds or grass, toprovide the same with cultivators vertically movable independent of theblocking-shoes, to provide a simple and durable structure, and toprovide the device with various new and useful features hereinafter morefully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan viewof a device embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the samewith parts removed; Fig. 3, .an enlarged detail in plan view of thecultivator draw-bars; Fig. t, the same in vertical section of theblocking-shoes and means for connecting them to their draw-bars andtaken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a detail of the guidingmeans for the outer draw-bars.

Like numerals refer to like parts in all of the figures.

1 represents any frame to which the animals to draw the device areattached and on which a seat for the operator is mounted. An axle-bar 2extends across the frame and is secured thereto. This bar is bentdownward at each side of the frame and thence outward at the ends, onwhich ends are journaled supporting-wheels 3.

4 is a transverse beam located beneath the frame and having itsrespective ends extend ed rearward at right angles and attached to thedownwardlyextended parts of the bar 2. From this beam to the frame 1extend braces 5, whereby the parts are rigidly held in proper position.At intervals on the beam 4 are downwardly-mojecting brackets 6, whichare adjustable longitudinally of the beam to vary the spacing apart ofthe blocking-shoes 8 and cultivators 11. To these brackets are pivotedthe forward ends of the draw-bars 7, two to each bracket. Thesedraw-bars are flexible in a horizontal direction and are coupled inpairs, the bars attached to each bracket diverging and coupled to theadjacent bars of the adjacent brackets. To each pair of bars thuscoupled is attached the respective pairs of blocking-shoes 8 and thecultivators 11, arranged in alternate series. The blockingshoes 8 arearranged in pairs (except those at the ends) and in parallel planes andspaced apart by tubes 19 and held together by bolts 20. Each pair ofshoes 8 are attached to a corresponding pair of draw-bars at front andrear by diverging bars 9 9, secured at their respective ends to thedraw-bars and shoes.

Each cultivator 11 is attached to a pair of draw-bars by a shank 10,consisting of a bar inserted at its upper end in a recess in a block 28.pivoted on a bolt 25, extending through said block and the draw-bars.This shank is extended from the block rearward,downward, and thenforward in a curve and has the cultivator-blade 11 attached at its lowerand forwardly-projecting end. To further clamp the block between thedraw-bars and frictionally hold the same from turning, in addition tothe pivot-bolt 25 a second bolt 24 extends through the draw-bars closein front of the block 23. The block is thus held from turning under allordinary strains; but in the event that the cultivator engages anobstruction that will not yield the block 23 will turn between thedraw-bars, and thus permit the cultivator to move backward and upwardand thus become detached from the obstruction without breaking themachine.

Extending rearward from the frame 1 are hangers 13, in which isjournaled a rock-shaft 12, adjustable about its axis by a lever H,attached thereto and held by the usual latch and notched sector. On thisrock-shaft is mounted a series of arms 15, one over each pair ofdraw-bars and adjustable on the rock-shaft. Extending downward from eacharm and attached to each pair of draw-bars is a rod 16, inserted in arecess in a spacing-block 21 be: tween the draw-bars and pivoted on abolt 22, extending through the block and draw-bars. The upper end ofeach rod 16 is slidably connected to the arm 15 in the usual way andprovided with the usual depressing-spring 17 to act on the draw-bars.The shoes 8 and cultivators 11 are thus independently operated and willtherefore conform closely to the contour of the surface operated uponand also freely discharge any grass or weeds between the shoes andcultivators. A single shoe 8 is attached to a single outer draw-bar 7and to this draw-bar is attached a clip 18, adapted to slide on thedownwardly-extended portion of the axle-bar 2, and thus prevent lateralmotion of the draw-bar and shoe.

In operation each pair of shoes severs the soil at each side of theblock of the row that is to be left and also protects the same from anysoil thrown outward by the cultivators, and the cultivators remove therow between the blocks. Each cultivator, and each pair of shoes beingindependently movable about the pivots of the draw-bars, will conform toany inequality of the surface of the soil more nearly than when thecultivators and blocking-shoes are attached as heretofore, and any grassor Weeds will escape between the cultivators and shoes and will not clogthe device.

In the event that the spaces between the blocks are to be changed thesame can be done by taking out or adding blocking-shoes and cultivators,together with their draw-bars, and adjusting the brackets 6 on the beam4 to conform thereto.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a blocker and cultivator, a series of pairs of blocking-shoes andcultivators arranged alternately, and separate draw-bars for each pairof shoes and each cultivator.

2. In a blocker and cultivator, a series of pairs of blocking-shoes, aseries of cultivators arranged alternately with the pairs ofblocking-shoes, separate and independentlymovable draw-bars for theseveral pairs of shoes and the several cultivators, separatedepressing-springs and lifting-rods for the same,

and means for simultaneously adjusting the springs and rods.

3. In a blocker and cultivator, a frame, an axle-bar secured to theframe and extended downward and outward at each side thereof,supporting-wheels on the ends of said bar, a transverse beam bentrearward at its ends and attached to the downwardly extended parts ofthe axle-bar, braces extending from the frame to the beam, draw-barspivotally connected to the beam, and blocking-shoes and cultivatorsattached to the draw-bars.

4. In a blocker and cultivator, a frame, an axle-bar attached to theframe and extending downward and outward at each side thereof,supporting-wheels journaled on the ends of said bar, a transverse beamextended rearward at each end and attached to the downwardlyextendedportions of the axle-bar, braces connecting the beam and frame, a seriesof drawbars pivotally connected to the beam, shoes v and cultivatorsattached to the draw-bars, and

clips attached to the outer draw-bars, and

adapted to slidably engage the downwardlyextended portions of theaxle-bar.

5. In a blocker and cultivator, a frame, an axle-bar secured to .theframe and extended downward and outward at each side of the same, wheelsjournaled on the ends of said "bar, a transverse beam extended rearwardat each end and attached to the vertical parts of the axle-bar, a seriesof adjustable brackets on the beam, flexible draw-bars pivoted to thebrackets, a series of pairs of blocking-shoes and cultivators attachedto the draw-bars, a rock-shaft, means for adjusting the rock-shaft aboutits axis, arms adjustable on the rockshaft, lifting-rods connecting thearms and draw-bars, and springs on the rods to depress the draw-bars.

6. In ablocker and cultivator, draw-bars arranged in pairs, recessedblocks between the draw-bars, cultivator-shanks inserted in theblocks,pivot-bolts extending through the draw-bars blocks and shanks, andclampingbolts extending through the draw-bars close to thespacing-blocks.

7. In a blocker and cultivator, two drawbars arranged parallel andspaced apart, two recessed spacing-blocks between the bars, a

lifting-rod inserted in the recess of one block,-

the draw-bars and frictionally holding the spacing block from turning, acultivatorshank inserted in the spacing-block and thence extendedrearward, downward and forward in a curve, a cultivator attached to thelower end of the shank, and means for raising and lowering thedraw-bars, shank and cultivator.

10. In a blocker and cultivator, a frame, an axle extending across theframe and thence Vertically downward, and thence outward at each end, adraw-bar pivoted at the front end and extending adjacent to the verticalpart of the axle, a clip attached to the draw-bar and slidably engagingthe axle opposite the drawbar, and a shoe attached to the draw-bar.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS MOEWING.

Witnesses:

NELLE M. HOLDEN, DANIEL J. MAHoNEY.

